
J3y fra^iklB 






7 



Mc^.Y-NewVork C;fy.SoutUFM\faH St. 




t>^f^;f^ 




Gass. 
Book 



■37 




EXCURSION 

PLANNED FOR THE 

CITY HISTORY CLUB 

OF 

NEW YORK 

BY 

FRANK BERGEN KELLEY, A. M., Ph. D. 

No. VH— NEW YORK CITY, 50UTH OF WALL STREET. 

PRICE, 5 CENTS 

flailed on receipt of price by Secretary, City History Club, 
19 W. 44th Street. 



Copyrighted, 1898, by the City History Club of New York. 



Coiiected set 



^ I 



Gs- 



-7 



TTHIS Excursion might be called a " Walk through New Amsterdam," but for the 
fact that there are to be found many points of English and Revolutionary interest, 
as well as traces merely of the Dutcli town. To complete a survey of Dutch remains, 
however, one should continue his journey to the region of Peter Stuyvesant's Boweiy, 
his tomb at old St. Mark's and the site of his Pear Tree marked by a tablet at 13th 
Street and Third Avenue (see City History Excursion III.). 

The writer in preparing this pamphlet has consulted many works, and is chiefly 
indebted to the following, which have a special bearing on thesubject: 

Valentine's " Manual," Janvier's " In Old New York," Gerard's " Old Streets of 
New York Under The Dutch," "Felix Oldboy's Tour Around New York," and 
histories of the city by Wilson, Frank Moss, Valentine and Todd, besides the interesting 
articles in " Historic New York " (Half Moon Series). 

As any work of this kind is particularly liable to error, he asked for and secured the 
criticism of officers of the following patriotic societies: 

Daughters of the Revolution, Daughters of the Cincinnati, Daughters of the Holland 
Dames, Holland Dames of the New Netherlands, United States Daughters of 1812, 
Order of Foundeis and Patriots of America, and of the following writers on Old New 
York: The Rev. Daniel Van Pelt, Maud Wilder Goodwin. Ruth Putnam, Dr. Morgan 
Dix, Mr. Albert Ulmann and Henry Dunreath Tyler, who kindly allowed the use of 
his valuable map on page 11. 

To all these are due the thanks of the City History Club of New York. 

F. B. KELLEY. 



P. 

Author. 



EXCURSION No. 7. 

New York City South of Wall Street 



Take Sixth or Ninth Avenue Elevated Raih-oad to Rector Street. 

[Greenwich Street was the old shore line along which a stockade, 
protected by a blockhouse and half-moon battery, connected the Land 
Gate at Wall Street and Broadway with the Fort at the Battery via Bat- 
tery Place (see Map of 1695, Janvier's " In Old New York," p. 24). Later 
a road was constructed along the shore to Greenwich Village, hence the 
name. 

Washington and West Streets were ordered laid out in 1729, but the 
]and was not reclaimed from the North River until after 1755. 

Church Street (here called Trinity Place) was a much later growth, the 
lower section of it, known as Lumber or Lombard Street, running from just 
below Rector to Liberty Street. 

The orchard of Hendrick Van Dyck (where, in Stuyvesant's time, he 
shot an Indian, thus leading to a massacre), lay west of Broadwav and south 
of Rector Street 

Broadway, " Heere Straat".or " Breedeweg," follows the line of an 
old Indian path. It was the beginning of the chief highway northward, run- 
ning 10 City Hall Park, then following the line of Chatham Street (Park 
Row) to Duane Street, thence via the Bowery and known as the " Post 
Road."] 

[A] Trinity Clnireli was incorporated in 1697. The first building was 
burned in 1776 and rebuilt in 1788. The present building was erected in 
1848. The churchyard is the site of the West Indian Company's Garden, 
where were " the Locust Trees," a famous Dutch picnic resort. This 
property, together with Farm No. i, above Wall Street, and the 
Annetje Jans, or Bogardus Farm, were granted to Trinity by Queen Anne 
about 1705, forming the source of the great wealth of this corporation. 

See the tombs of Captain Lawrence, Alexander Hamilton, William 
Bradford, Robert Fulton (Livingston vault), Robert Livingston, Morgan 
Lewis, Albert Gallatin, Earl of Sterling (S. W. corner of yard, marked 
" James Alexander 1783 "), Mayors John Cruger and Marinus Willett, Govs. 
Sir H.Moore, Osborne, Delancey, and the wives of Clarke and Cornbury 
(near Bradford), Gens, Phil. Kearney (Watts tomb), John Morin Scott,. 
(N. side near fence) and Lamb, Michael Cresap (who fought Logan). Sidney 
Breese (ancestor of S. F. B. Morse), Philip Livingston and Francis Lewis, 
(signers of the Declaration of Independence), and a stone to the memory 
of Charlotte Temple (north side). The oldest stone is that of Richard 



Churcher, 1681. See also the monument to the patriots who died in the 
sugar houses and prison ships during the Revolution (built originally to 
keep a street from being cut through from Broadway), 

In the interior of the Church in an alcove behind the altar is an effigy 
of Bishop Onderdonck, also memorial windows to other bishops, and the 
corner stone of the former church. 

No. 56 Broadway (Astor Court); note the statues of Clinton, Wolfe, 
Stuyvesant and Hudson. A portion of the old wooden city water pipe was 
dug out recently from this vicinity. Exchange Alley, opposite No. 56 and 
a sort of western continuation of Exchange Place, was formerly called 
" Tin Pot Alley," this old name appearing on the southwest corner of the 
alley. The Dutch called this " Vlettenberg (fiat hill), it being a path lead- 
ing to the battery on Greenwich Street. The English corrupted it to 
" Flatten-Barrack," " Barrack Street," and latter it was called " Oyster 
Pastey Alley " (Moss, II, 141). On the sidewalk at 55 Broadway is an 
old Revolutionary cannon. 

{B) No. 39 Broadway; tablet (erected by the Holland Society), site of 
the first white men's houses on Manhattan. These houses were constructed 
in 1613 by Adrian Block, who, when his ship, the Tiger, was burned, built 
the Unrest near this spot. This was also the site of the McComb Mansion 
where Washington lived in 1790 (Mrs. Booth's History of N. Y.). 

Note irregular frontage of buildings on lower Broadway, authorized 
by the City Government of the time of their erection. 

The Dutch Churchyard was west of Broadway, above Morris Street. 

No. 19 Broadway (stone lions). Daniel Webster's home. 

Nos. 9-1 1 Broadway, site of Martin Creg:ier'8 Tavern (now Bowling 
Green Offices). Some authorities say that this was also the site of Burns' 
Coffee House, the scene of the signing of the Non-Importation Agreement 
and the headquarters of the Sons of Liberty (but see tablet of the Holland 
Society at No. 113 Broadway). 

No. 7 Broadway, site of Stevens' house (founder of Stevens' Institute). 

No. 5 Broadway, site of R. R. Livingston's house (N. Y. Directory of 
1786 says No. 3). 

No. 3 Broadway, site of Watts' house (Arnold's headquarters in 1781). 

(Z>) No. 1 Broadway, site of Kennedy house. Tablet here on the 
Washington Building (erected by the Sons of the Revolution) states that 
this was Washington's headquarters in 1776. It was also the headquarters 
of many prominent British officers, and was visited by Talleyrand and 
Prince William. Robert Fulton died in a house in the rear of this site {a). 

[E) Bowling Green, the Dutch " Plein " or Common, was the heart of 
New Amsterdam, and is now the geographical centre of Greater New 
York (for its history see Half Moon Series, Vol. I, No. 8, and Vol. II, No. 5). 
East and west of the Green was the Dutch " Marketfield ' on Broadway 



5 

and on Whitehall. Here was a farmers' well, the water from which ran 
off through Beaver Street (Blommaert's Valley). The iron fence around the 
Green came from England and dates back to 1771. The iron balls which 
were formerly on the posts were broken off for ammunition in 1776. Near 
the centre of the Green the leaden statue of Georg'e III. was setup in 1770, 
and pulled down and moulded into bullets in 1776. Later, the present 
fountain was placed on this spot. Notice the statue of De Peyster (Mayor, 
1691-96) facing south. The Green was the scene of the riots of 1765, 1776 
and 1794 (Jay Treaty). 

{F} No. -t Bowling- Oreeii; tablet on Cunard office (erected by the 
Holland Society) marks the site of the northwest bastion of Fort Amster- 
dam. The site of the Fort (300 feet by 250 feet) was bounded by Bowling 
Green, Whitehall, Bridge and State Streets. It contained barracks, the 
Governor's house, church, windmill, jail and garrison well. Governor 
Bellomont was buried here, but his remains were afterward removed to 
St. Paul's. The name was changed to Fort James in 1664.. Later it was 
in succession called William Hendrick, James, William, William Henry 
and Fort George (Old Streets, 31-32). The walls were finally leveled in 
1790, and a " Government House" was here constructed for President 
Washington, but was used by Governor Clinton. Enter the interior of the 
old fort by an alley (formerly called " Whitney Lane "), in rear from Bridge 
Street. 

The Battery. In early times a stockade extended along the line of 
Battery Place, State and Whitehall Streets. The old shore line followed 
the present line of the Elevated Railroad from Greenwich Street to White- 
hall Street. Fort Clinton, built in 1806 (d), afterward called "Castle Gar- 
den," and now the Aquarium (tablet within), was on Kapske Rock, in the Bay, 
and was joined to Manhattan by a drawbridge (see picture of fort in 181 5 
on handsome old blue platter, presented by the Misses Earle. and now in 
the office). Battery Park, formerly a shoal, was filled in between 1800 and 
1825. See flag-staff where Van Arsdale raised the American flag in 1783, 
near the Barg-e Office (Immigration Bureau). Nearby is a statue of 
Ericsson erected in honor of his inventions. See also the Dock Depart- 
ment ofifices and the City Fireboat. From South Ferry Vanderbilt ran his 
market boat to Staten Island. From the shore see Governor's Island 
(Castle Williams and Fort Columbus), Bedloe's or Liberty Island 
(Statue and Fort Wood), Ellis Island (Immigrant's landing), Narrows, 
Staten Island, Jersey City (Paulus Hook) and Brooklyn. 

{G) Site of the Dutch West India Company Bakery. On the building 
opposite, the " Holland Dames of the New Netherlands " have erected a 
bronze tablet with the following inscription: " This tablet is placed here in 
loving memory of the first Dutch settlers." Pearl Street, also called " De 
Perel Straat,'" " Road to Ferry," the "Strand," "Dock Street," " Queen 



Street " and " Sheet Pile Street," was formerly the shore road to Brooklyn 
Ferry. The lower end, laid out in 1633, is the oldest street in New York. 
See original curve between State and Whitehall Streets. 

(//) No. IJ) Pearl Street, old house built of Holland brick. The 
•deed of the present owner was acquired from Governor Lovelace. 

(/) Site of Governor Stiiyvesaiit's White Hall, or city house, on the 
south side of Whitehall Street (" Beurs Straat " or Purse Street, also 
called " Marckvelt " or the market field), between Pearl and Front Streets. 
De Kay, Cornelis Steenwyck and, later, Leisler lived on this street. 
Dominie Bogardus Hved between Stone and Bridge Streets, while 
directly across were the five stone warehouses of the West India Com- 
pany. At the foot of Whitehall a " handboard " advised vessels where 
to anchor. In a groggery near this point began the fire of 1776, which 
extended to Beaver Street and thence to Broadway, destroying Trinity 
Church and four hundred and ninety-three houses. 

{J) United States Army Bnilding- on Whitehall Street, corner of 
Pearl. 

In Dutch days four streets ran east from Whitehall to Broad Street, 
(i) T'Marckvelt Steegie (" Marketfield Path" or "Petticoat Lane," now 
Marketfield Street, and still to be seen, partly covered by the Produce 
Exchange). (See O) Here was built the first French Church in 1688. (2) 
Stone ("Brouwer"or " Brewer's Street," later called " Duke Street"). This 
was the site of O. S.Van Cortlandt's brewery. Beyond Broad Street it was 
called " Hoogh " or " High Street," because higher than the canal. Above 
Hanover Scjuare it followed the line of Pearl Street. It was called Stone 
Street because it was the first street paved (1657). On this street lived 
Adam Roelantsen, the first schoolmaster, and here for a time was pub- 
lished Leisler 's Weekly Journal (Historic N. Y., II, 133). (3) Bridge 
Street (" Brugh Straat ") was the site of the bridge over the canal at 
Broad Street on which was held the first Dutch Exchange. Washington 
Irving once lived at No. 3. (4) Pearl Street (in Dutch days only called by 
this name west of Whitehall Street). 

"T'Water" was the beginning of the present Water Street, but it ran 
•only one block before the " filling in " began, [c) At No. 5 was located Lou- 
don's press from 1776 to 1783. Along this street were the British barracks 
■during the Revolution. 

{L-L) Wliiteliall Battery; nearby, at 17 and 19 Front Street, have 
been excavated old coins and army buttons. Hunt's shipyard was at the 
junction of Whitehall and Pearl Streets (New York Sun; see also Janvier's 
maps of 1695, 1729 and 1767). 

(A'j No. 33 Pearl Street is the site of the first Dutch Church, 
built in 1633. Later the building became the Weigh or Custom 
House, and then the old Produce Exchange. Moore Street (the first 



"moor" or dock, built in 1658-62) was the point at which the "Wet 
Docks " began, running north to Coenties Shp. South, Front and Water 
Streets beyond Moore Street were under water until the " Schoeyinge " or 
sheathing was begun (1654) to protect the shores from high tides. 

Broad Street (called the " Common Ditch " and the ' Heere 
Gracht ") is the site of the ditch which drained the swamp between Beaver 
Street and Exchange Place. The Dutch converted it into a canal about 
1657-59. The street on each side of the canal was paved in 1660, the 
owners of the abutting property dividing the cost with the city, according 
to the Dutch custom. The canal was filled in about 1676. Valentine 
(Manual, 1853) tells us that some fifty years ago poles wath ropes attached 
were dug up here. They had probably been used for mooring boats. 

(J/) Frauuce's Tavern, northeast corner of Pearl and Broad (52 
Pearl), built in 1730. Here was organized (April 8, 1768) the New York 
Chamber of Commerce. Tablet (erected by the Sons of the Revolution). 
The upper " Long Room." where Washington said farewell to his officers 
in 1783, may still be seen (see City History Club Excursion, No. vi). 

Go up Broad Street " along the canal," the waters of which still flow 
down the sewers from hidden swamps. The bridge on which was held 
the Excliaii^e of 1670 was between Bridge and Stone Streets, Zenger's 
New York Weekly Journal was published near the end of this bridge. 

(A^) Site of the "Horse Mill" on South William ("Mill Street") in 
the upper story of which were held the first religious services on the Island 
of Manhattan (1626). Nearby on South William Street was the first syna- 
gogue, built about 1729. 

{O) Marketfield Street (see (i) above). 

{P) Mariiuis Willett tablet (erected by the Sons of the Revolution) 
marking the site of the seizure of arms from British soldiers. A ditch ran 
through Beaver Street (" Bever " " Gracht " west and Prinzen " Gracht " 
east of Broad Street, connecting with the Broad Street canal. 

Return down Broad to Pearl Street. 

(/?) No. 73 Pearl ; (erected by the Holland Society), site of Kieft's, 
"Harberg"or Tavern (1642) which became the Stadt Huys (1653-99). 
Pearl Street here was known as "Lang de Wall," referring to the 
sheathing. 

{Q) Coenties Slip was the farm of Conraet (" Coentits") Ten Eyck. 
Part of the Erie Canal fleet lies in this slip during the winter. Jeannette 
Park was named in honor of the Herald Arctic exploration ship. 

81 Pearl ; tablet (erected by the New York Historical Society) marks 
the &ite of Bradford's first press (1693). 00 Pearl ; tablet marks the great 
fire of 1835 which destroyed $20,000,000 worth of property and led to the 
building of the Croton Aqueduct (1832-45). 

{S) Hanover Square, named in honor of George I., of Hanover, was 



the " Printing House Square "of English New York. Tablet on the Cotton 
Exchange (erected by the New York Historical Society) marks the site of 
the first newspaper office — Bradford's New York Gazette (1725). On this 
Square were the offices of Parker's New York Weekly Post Boy {i'/66), 
Weyman's New York Gazette (1767), Holt's New York /otirna/ {1766), 
Gaines' New York Mercury (1752) printed at the " Sign of the Bible and 
the Crown," William Norton's Post, James Rivington's (" Only London 
Bookseller in America," formerly of Paternoster Row) New York 
Gazetteer, Rivington's New York Loyal (called by colonists " Lyi?ig) 
Gazette (1776-83), and the Independent Journal, in which the " Fed- 
erahst " papers appeared. (See "Old New York Press and its Makers" 
Half Moon Series, vol. ii. No. 4.) Go down William one block to corner 
South William. See Pompeian columns on Delmonico's. 

One may siill see an old New York merchant's sign over the office of 
the Holland Coffee Co.," corner of Old Slip and Front Street, reading, 
"John Bowie Dash, Ironmonger" (Moss II, 191). 

1 1 9-1 2 1 Pearl; note old-fashioned upper windows. Here lived Victor 
Moreau, who tried to assassinate Napoleon. In the rear was the Bell 
Tavern, built by the father of-William Niblo (Moss' History of New York). 

140 Pearl; site of the house of Admiral Digby and Prince William. 

156 Pearl; site of the house where James Rivington, the printer, died. 

178 Pearl; is the site of Governor George Clinton's house (1783). 

Wall Street, "De Cingel of te Stadt Waal ' (or the walk by the City 
Wall), was the northern boundary of New Amsterdam, along which ran 
palisades (built in 1653 and removed in 1699) from the East to the North 
River. At Pearl Street was the Water Gate and a half-moon battery. 
Near by lived Jean de Vigne. the first white child born in New Netherland. 
John Theobald built a wharf here in 1694. 

iU) '' Tontine Coffee House," N. W. corner Wall and Water Streets, 
a favorite merchants' resort about 1692. Diagonally opposite stood the 
"Merchants' Coffee House," hence the name "Coffee House Slip " ap- 
plied to the Slip at the foot of W'all Street. Near this was the " Meal 
Market," lateracity slave market. 57 Wall Street is the siteof Hamilton's 
home (Directory of 1786). 

58 Wall Street was the scene of the riot of 1834 at the first Mayor's 
election, when the Courier and Enquirer ^ office was mobbed. 

( V) United States Custom House on block bounded by Wall, Hanover, 
Exchange Place and William, built as Merchants' Exchange after fire of 
1835, became Custom House in 1862. 

From Wall Street south to Exchange place (called " Schaap Waytie." 
or sheep pasture, when the surrounding swamp was drained, and later 
known as Tuyen or Garden Street) lay ( W) the property of the " New 
Butch Church," built in 1691-93, on " Mother Drisius' Farm. " 



The corner of Wall and William Streets is the site of Governor Tryon's 
house and of the statue of William Pitt, set up by the colonists in honor of 
his defence of their interests in Parliament. The statue, mutilated by 
British soldiers, is now in the rooms of the New York Historical So- 
ciety (^). 

WiUiam Street was known in Dutch days as Borgher Joris" Path, in- 
cluding Old Slip ; later it was called Smee, or Smith Street. 

At 29 William Street was situated the first United States post office 
in a room 1 2 feet by 1 5 feet. 

40-42 Wall Street is the site of Bayard's " Sugar House." the first New- 
York refinery, built in 1729. 

At 32 Wall Street is the Assay Office (formerly used as United States 
Bank, and as Treasury), the oldest Federal building (1823) now in New York. 

{X) The Sub-Treasury (facing Broad Street) occupies the site of the 
Eng-lish City Hall (1699), which became the State and Federal Capitol. 
The statue of Washiiigrton (erected by the Chamber of Commerce) marks 
the spot on which he delivered his inauguration address in 1789. The 
stone on which he stood is \\ithin the building, and bears an inscription 
referring to this fact. 

Nassau Street (opened in 1693) was at first called the '-Road by 
the Pye Woman's," later, " Kip Street." 

( F) Site of the First Presbyterian Clmrcli (erected 1719) where 
Jonathan Edwards and Whitfield preached. This church is now located 
at Fifth Avenue and nth Street. 

New Street (" Niew Straat ") was so called because opened later than 
other streets in the vicinity (about 1675). 

(Z) At Broadway and Wall Street was the Land Oate of the city (see 
" History of \Vall Street," Half Moon Series, Vol. 1, No. 4). 

NOTES. 

(a) John Austin Stevens, in a recent paper before the N. Y. Historical Society, 
states that \Vm. Kelby, late Librarian of the Society, found proofs in colonial docu- 
ments unearthed in the County Court, that Washington never hai headquarters at 
No. I Broadway, being located instead at Richmond Hill. Putnam, however, and 
several British officers occupied this building. 

(d) So slates Gherardi Davis in his paper before the N. Y. Historical Society on 
" The Establishment of Public Parks." Others say the date was iSii or 1812. 

(c) Some authorities say T'Water " was applied to Pearl Street, east of White- 
hall Street. Remains of a schooner and a former dock has been excavated at Front 
Street, near Whitehall. 

(d) As a duplicite almost perfect exists in Charleston, S. C ., it has lately been 
proposed to use this as a model in restoring the statue. 



lO 



INDEX TO MAP, 



A. 


Trinity Church. 


J. 


r. S. Army Building. 


S. 


B. 


Tablet: First Houses. 


K. 


Site First Dutch Church, 33 Pearl. 




C. 


Site of Ciegier's Tavern. 


LL. 


Line British Barracks and Whitehall 


T. 


1>. 


Tablet: Kennedy Ho. 




Battery. 


L-. 


E. 


Site of Statue of George III; 


M. 


Fraunces' Tavern. 


V. 




De Peyster Statue just soutli. 


X. 


Site of Hoi-se Mill (1626). 


W. 


F. 


Tablet: Fort Amsterdam. 


O. 


Marketfield St. (Produce E.\change). 


X. 


G. 


Site W. I. Co. Bakerv. 


J^ 


Marinus Willett Tablet. 


Y. 


H. 


Old House, 19 Pearl. 


Q. 


Jeannette Park. 


Z. 


I. 


Site Stuvver-anfs White Hall. 


R. 


Tablet: Stadt Huy.s. 





Hanover Square (Tablet Cotton Ex. 

change). 
Water Gate of New Amsterdam. 
Tontine Coffee House. 
Custom House. 
Site New Dutch Church. 
Sub-Treasury : Washington Statue. 
Site First IVesbyterian Church. 
Land Gate New Amsterdam. 







!l!:j'^:f^r^fw»t«rffi ti»suof vt>/- 




I-^l 





V---' 



